Football Fanatic

They would age 5-10 years after that one week of coaching them. But man would it be fun to have that much talent at your disposal!

I don't doubt it. Apologies again for only speaking on large school PAC. I do know some of the small school players. The two you mentioned obviously, Howald and Meadows from Pike Central, Neukam and Allen from Southridge, Stone and Galvin from NP, Jochem and Lueken from FP, Hurt and Olmstead from SS, Terry and Glenn from TC. But those are really the only players I know much about and I still don't know how they compare to the top large school players or the SIAC for that matter. I could maybe say Schroeder, Kramer, Howald, Neukam, Stone, and Jochem belong on the All-PAC-Stars, but it's hard for me to say past that.

I would think Reitz will be the favorite to win that sectional next year considering who they have returning, but obviously cannot count out Memorial or Jasper. I know Memorial fans/coaches/players would love to see them win it again, but there's also a lot of people who would like to see Memorial back in 3A. Notably - the 4A teams in their sectional, and people who think they have a better chance at going to state in 3A (which they probably do). Personally, I would like to see more Memorial vs. Gibson Southern matchups. Those were fun.

I also think East Central would've beaten Reitz somewhat comfortably as well. Earlier in the season (after they blew out Jasper, North, Castle, and then held on in a close one against Memorial without their QB), I and many others probably would not have thought that. I would have thought their size and speed would match up well with East Central and whoever else they would run into, but their offense was never the same after their QB got hurt, and with Vera in there they were too limited against good defenses. Unfortunately for the rest of 4A south, there was a massive roadblock this year in East Central/Roncalli/New Pal. I think all 3 of those teams could win state in 5A this year, and I think Reitz or Memorial could've went to semistate or state. Just how it goes sometimes. So what are the chances looking like that Memorial moves back down to 3A after next season? I forget how the points work, but how far would they have to make it to stay in 4A?

I agree. There's no valid way to compare and I do think it is close. However, I think the SIAC is slightly better overall - mostly speaking on depth, coaching and size/speed of the players. The only thing you can really look at is film, stats and player measurables (size, speed, lifting numbers, times, etc.). But even then, the game still has to be played and technique/mechanics are a huge part of the game. It doesn't really get me heated like a lot of people, as I am somebody who supports and follows all Evansville area football so I just like seeing all players and teams succeed (well, most of them lol). But I do like a good debate and comparison, which are usually pointless, but do make for fun discussion and hypotheticals.

I believe the All-SIAC is not released until after all teams finish their season. Speaking of, congrats to the SIAC for having two teams still alive (Castle and Mater Dei). Surprised they have Castle there instead of Reitz/Memorial/Jasper, but never know what can happen. I just posted who I would start in an All-Star game, so I guess those would be my predictions. Also, I imagine most of the All-City players will be All-SIAC.

You say that sarcastically, ha ha and all that, yet you confidently used it as your point to make in the SIAC vs. PAC argument. All season long, all the talk was who was the best team in the area...Reitz or Gibson Southern. No argument, they were clearly the two best teams around. Yet, they both lost early to opponents who, on paper, did not seem to be near as good. If those two matchups were played 10 times each, Reitz and Gibson Southern maybe win 8 or 9 of them right? But again, that's why the games are played. And you are right, on that night, Reitz was not good enough to beat Boonville (who then lost to Memorial who previously lost to Reitz) and Gibson Southern was not good enough to beat Owen Valley (who then lost to Monrovia). That happens in sports. Sometimes in the pros, a lot of times in college, and definitely a lot of times with high school teenagers. Can't judge by one game that was played on one given night. However, would definitely like to see some SIAC schools play the PAC schedule and some PAC schools play the SIAC schedule and see what the results would be. It's either that or an All-Star game. I'd be okay with either one!

I think on paper the SIAC would be the favorite in a matchup with the PAC and would have a heck of a coaching staff, but again, there's a reason games are actually played. I wouldn't say with confidence one way or the other. And I'm speaking on large school PAC only because I know more about those schools than the small school, so apologies for that. But just for fun, here would be MY potential starters + top reserves for the SIAC All-Stars vs. PAC Large School All-Stars: PAC (Big School Only) Offense QB - Clay Conner (Boonville) - would also use Tanner Boyd in situations RB - Devan Roberts (Gibson Southern) - would also use Reece Wilder in situations WR - Sean Delong (Gibson Southern) WR - Marques Ballard (Boonville) WR - Jackson Clowers (Mt. Vernon) WR - Isaac O'Neal (Gibson Southern) - would also use Michael Herren and Cooper Aigner OL - Jacob Bales (Gibson Southern) OL - Jackson Adams (Gibson Southern) OL - Hunter Kolley (Heritage Hills) OL - Gavin Maxey (Boonville) OL - Ruben Gutierrez (Washington) - would also use Drew Walden Defense DL - Ethan Parker (Boonville) - would also use Brady Schickel DL - Brody Klem (Gibson Southern) DL - Stihl Scott (Boonville) DL - Ty Whitledge (Gibson Southern) LB - Braydon Durham (Heritage Hills) LB - Carter Wolfe (Boonville) LB - Reece Wilder (Boonville) - would also use Luke Foster DB - Brenden Chew (Heritage Hills) DB - Mason Scheller (Gibson Southern) DB - Cooper Aigner (Boonville) DB - Hayden Gilmore (Princeton) - would also use Nicot Burnett at safety and Clay Conner in situations as a safety or roll down as an outside backer Coaching Staff: Nick Hart, Todd Wilkerson, Darin Ward, Lukas Messmer Notes: Apologies, as it appears I've mostly formed the Gibson Southern-Boonville-Heritage Hills All-Star team, but is it really that out-of-line, or is it accurate? SIAC Offense QB - Mason Wunderlich (Mater Dei) - would also use Xander Hunt or Roland Vera Jr. in situations RB - Jonas Burnett (Reitz) - would also use Porter Rode and Angelo St. Louis in situations WR - Leo Collins (Memorial) - would also use Weston Aigner here WR - Xavier Thomas (Reitz) WR - Hayden Summers (Reitz) WR - Caleb Ellsperman (Memorial) - would also use Ethan Stolz here OL - Harlen Summers (Reitz) OL - Edward Hartig (Memorial) OL - Jack Cassidy (Memorial) OL - Timmy Dixon (North) - would also use Griffin Hile OL - Quentin Boeke (Reitz) Defense DL - Jayden Hazelwood (North) DL - Kelton Farmer (Memorial) DL - Levi Oxley (Reitz) DL - Calab Utley (Reitz) - would also use Kaleb Harris and Cale Johnson LB - John Purdy (Castle) LB - Carac Johnson (Memorial) LB - Ayden Wells (Reitz) - would also use Mitch Adler and Alex Broshears DB - Asher Horn (Harrison) - would also use Elijah Ringo DB - Bralen Bair (Jasper) DB - J'Khari Phifer (Reitz) - would also use Dejaun Gillis or Jackson Draper DB - Ayden Salpietra (Castle) - would also use Roland Vera Jr. here or roll down as an outside backer Coaching Staff: Mike Goebel, John Hurley, Cory Brunson, Doug Hurt Notes: Now that I look at it more closely on paper, I think the SIAC would definitely be favored. I do think it would be a very competitive game though.

You must not know how sports work, especially with teenagers. There's a reason the games are played and not just analyzed on paper. Anybody that saw Reitz play or knew anything about them this season would know how good they were though. Boonville was also a solid team (not mediocre) and took full advantage of an "off" game for Reitz, which seemed inevitable with how they were unbeaten despite all the penalties and the injury to their QB.

Will definitely be there Friday, excited for some cold playoff football. Interested to see how well Memorial tackles with the size of Ringer and Brotherton. Hard to simulate those dudes on scout team. Although they handled Conner and Wilder well. Something I noticed about East Central, they start a handful of juniors including the QB and Ringer, so they will be good again next year. Should be a great game at Enlow!

Burnett left the game early 2nd half and did not return. I too was surprised Vera was not used more on offense. Either at QB or out of the slot. He's one of those players that can make magic happen no matter how he touches the ball. Their offense really struggled to get drives going at times. Burnett was running well until the injury, and they completed some deep balls, but that's about it. Even if it wasn't tipped, I don't know how you can be too upset with a 16-17 year old kid for missing an XP in a high pressure playoff situation like that. Especially since he's been a great kicker for them the past few years. But again, that's why I always lean toward going for the win there on the road, especially if you have some good 2pt plays up your sleeve. But, what do I know, and hindsight vision is unfair.

The players, coaches, and fans were all pleading for it. There was a guy videoing directly from the side and the player was a whole step and helmet across before the ball snapped. Like I said, it's very unfortunate for Reitz for it to end like that, but that missed call is not the reason they lost. So many other things happened for them to even get in that situation. Just want to make that clear. Reitz was arguably the best team in southern Indiana all season, but on that night, Boonville was the best and earned the right to take on Memorial.

I’ve mentioned other things that went wrong in this thread or another. That one was singled out because it was a crucial one at the end to tie it up and many people have been talking about it. There is video of it and it does clearly look like the player crossed the line before the snap AND tipped the ball. Reitz was down 14 with 4 min to go, so they were fortunate to even be in a situation to tie or win. Like I said elsewhere, personally I go for the win which also avoids any mishaps on the XP. But I’m in full agreement with anyone saying that many other things went wrong that put Reitz in that situation. Dumb penalties, turnovers, poor tackling, lack of adjustments, injuries, bad gameplay, failed opportunities, etc. Whatever it may be, they didn’t execute well and Boonville is playing very good football right now which is why they’re moving on.

I do agree with that. I will be interested to see what Memorial does on defense to contain him. It's not even just that he is big and athletic, he also has great speed. That is correct, left early in the game and it sounds like from an interview that his status is up in the air awaiting tests.

What do you mean?

No doubt. Their QB Conner is the real deal and has the ability to break big plays out of seemingly nothing. Something else I thought of: The Reitz defense did really well at neutralizing impact players all season - the two players they struggled against most? Xander Hunt and Clay Conner. Makes sense! Boonville has a handful of players that go both ways which is the main reason I think Memorial will come out on top against them. But they will be absolutely pumped up and at home again, never know!

Definitely a huge letdown for Reitz. They have to be disappointed. Most people had them going to regionals and maybe even semi state. Usually teams that have both a great offense and great defense make those long playoff runs. However, we all suspected that the penalty bug was their weakness and would eventually be their downfall. Besides that, they missed opportunities and could not catch any breaks against Boonville. But we shouldn't forget that a majority of their team is juniors, and a sophomore QB. While they do lose some talented seniors (especially Thomas and Burnett), they return a ton of talent. I believe they return 7 starters on offense and 7 starters on defense, that includes their 3 DL that combined for 37 sacks which is tops in the state. Having 4/5 OL back with the Summers/Vera combo will be huge. We can also assume their sophomore QB will get healthy and improve. It looks like the main areas they need to replace are at RB and defensive backs. Considering their freshmen and JV both did well, they shouldn't have any problem replacing those spots. Losing early in the postseason is surely not acceptable in the Reitz community, but they have a lot to be happy about and look forward to. I expect Reitz to be even better next year.

Recap of sectional semifinals: Very disappointing loss and end for Reitz after what was a very promising season. They ran into a team that was on fire and ready to prove people wrong. Many things went wrong for Reitz in that game, but did anybody see video of the last Reitz XP attempt to tie the game yet? Appears that the Boonville player ran offsides right before the snap (also got a fingertip on the ball) but it was not called. Very unfortunate. But personally, I'll usually always lean towards going for 2 to win in that situation, especially on the road. But again, Reitz had many opportunities and made many mistakes. It also didn't help losing Burnett and Brantley early to injuries. Boonville came ready to play, maintained that level throughout, and did not make many mistakes. The QB Conner made big plays when he needed to and is simply one of the better athletes in southern Indiana. Both the Reitz offense and defense had been outstanding all season and they both struggled in that game. Offense struggled to maintain drives and get their playmakers the ball until it was too late. Defense struggled to tackle the QB and did not adjust well to what Boonville was doing. Good for Boonville, lots of credit to them. None of us were alive the last time they beat Reitz. They now carry a lot of momentum into a showdown with Memorial. Reitz will be disappointed but they have come along way from the last few years - from being mediocre to the top of the conference. They lose a few talented seniors but return a whole lot of juniors and their sophomore QB. Memorial vs. Jasper was a great game and it never felt like either team was going to win the game comfortably. Very evenly contested and many punches traded. Both teams made mistakes and both teams made winning plays. That's the kind of battle you expect between them and want in a sectional semifinal. Jasper came a long way from getting beat by Harrison and blown out by Reitz. They got their playmakers back healthy, adjusted their offensive a bit, and started playing Jasper football again. They just ran into a team that also came along way from early season, a team that figures out how to win games in the postseason. Credit to Coach Hurley and Johnson, they always seem to save a little magic dust to sprinkle in the playoffs. Even though Boonville just took down Reitz and will have the home field advantage, I still see Memorial as the favorite. Looking forward to a rematch of Memorial vs. EC in regionals. Jasper loses a handful of key seniors but return some promising athletes, especially two talented freshmen at QB and RB.

I see Wunderlich getting 1st team QB because he's a senior with the best passing stats. I see Hunt getting either 1st team at-large or 2nd team QB.

My "off the top of my head" prediction (probably way off): 1st Team Offense QB Sr. Mason Wunderlich (Mater Dei) OL Sr. Edward Hartig (Mem.), Sr. Jack Cassidy (Mem.), Jr. Harlen Summers (Reitz), Jr. Timmy Dixon (North), Sr. Will Bracher (Castle) RB Sr. Jonas Burnett (Reitz), Jr. Angelo St. Louis (North) WR/TE Jr. Hayden Summers (Reitz), Sr. Xavier Thomas (Reitz), Sr. Weston Aigner (Castle) K Can't decide between So. Luke Lindsey (VL) or Jr. Keifer Sanderson (Reitz) or Jr. Aleyna Quinn (Castle) At-Large Can't decide between Jr. Roland Vera Jr. (Reitz) or Jr. Xander Hunt (VL) or Jr. Porter Rode (Mem.) 1st Team Defense DL Jr. Levi Oxley (Reitz), Jr. Calab Utley (Reitz), Sr. Cale Johnson (North), Sr. Kelton Farmer (Mem.) LB Sr. John Purdy (Castle), Sr. Carac Johnson (Mem.), Jr. Ayden Wells (Reitz) DB Sr. Elijah Ringo (Reitz), Sr. Dejuan Gillis (VL), Sr. Ayden Salpietra (Castle), Jr. Sam Nichols (Mem.) P Sr. Charlie Kabrick (Jasper) At-Large Can't decide between Sr. Brody Mueller (Central) or So. Will Hambrick (VL) or Sr. Louis Seward (Mem.)

They are not as good as they should be, we'll put it that way. They run the ball a bunch on offense and stop the run pretty well on defense. If you can make them pass, and you mix it up on offense, they are definitely beatable.

Looks like a 3-3 or 3-5 yeah. I think it is a combination of everything. They have speed all over the defense. The secondary and linebackers fly around and don't give up many passes. The DL is big/strong and fast. Teams do not have much time to establish any comfort in the pocket. Fortunately for Boonville, they have a QB who is fast and athletic enough to get out of the pocket and make plays. Boonville may find success how VL found success. But I just don't think it will be enough to beat this Reitz team for four quarters.

Thanks! Pretty impressive defensive numbers around the conference. Three guys over 100 tackles. Purdy with 136 tackles and Mueller with 127 tackles is wild. Six players with at least 3 interceptions. Also noticed that the Reitz DL trio ( Oxley 14, Utley 12, Brantley 8 ) has 34 sacks between them 😱

Thanks again for doing the team stats. Cool to see how teams have progressed, regressed, or stayed consistent all season. Do you still have updated player stats/conference leaders as well?

Here's the best round 2 SW Indiana matchups that could all end up being close. However, I could also see a scenario where the only close game is Jasper @ Memorial. Jasper @ Memorial Owen Valley @ Gibson Southern Reitz @ Boonville Charlestown @ Heritage Hills Southmont @ Linton-Stockton Paoli @ North Posey